


Everything Stays

by CapitanK



Series: Time Is An Illusion That Helps Things Make Sense [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: A Time Pretzel if you will, Action/Adventure, Amnesia, BAMF Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, Canon? what Canon, F/M, Mystery, Romance, Sort Of, THIS IS DOCTOR/Rose, This is an edit of a Fic I orphaned ages ago and am Picking back up, This is mostly for me but you can read it if you want, Time Loop, Time Lord Rose Tyler, Time Lords Are the worst, Time Lords and Ladies (Doctor Who), Time Travel, brief threats of suicide in chapter two, no beta we die like men, original adventures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 05:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30050673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapitanK/pseuds/CapitanK
Summary: Life on Kry-Stal was slow and she was angling to get out as quick as she could manage. Really, her only wish was to see her mother again and if she ever planed on doing that she couldn't stay in one place. Especially not when Time Lords were after her.But when a renegade Time Lord named The Doctor finds her, he might just wind up leading her back where she really belongs.[a second draft/edit of: Everything Stays [right where you left it] which I orphaned a while back.]
Relationships: Eighth Doctor/Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler
Series: Time Is An Illusion That Helps Things Make Sense [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210694
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Kry-Stal: Jya-Qi

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Everything Stays [Right Where You left It]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20577386) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up it's Karu!  
> You can find the original version of this story linked above, it's actually 3 part series that I orphaned. There's information in the comments that proves I wrote it since this was put on the Dalektables on tumblr and I [the orphaned account] says they are Capitankaru on tumblr. Which is me. I'm just cleaning it up and getting it up to my standards, but I might also add a story I took out back then. We'll see how this goes. I'll post as often as I can, since I'm only editing for now.
> 
> Title for the fic is from 'Everything Stays' performed by Olivia Olsen and Rebecca Sugar, from the show Adventure Time. 
> 
> Title for the Series is from Time Adventure performed by the cast of Adventure Time, from the show Adventure Time

There would never be such a thing as a normal life for her.

That was the first thing Jya-Qi realized when she had hidden herself away on the TARDIS that the CIA had sent on an observatory visit to 40th century Kry-Stal. There was no feasible way she could have stolen a TT Capsule for herself, after all, the only ones she would have access to were still in the Nursery. Barring the immature saplings, there were the museum pieces, but only a few centuries ago their security had been reformed and tightened. A fact which rendered the retired capsules unstealable.

Either way, It didn't matter anymore, she was on Kry-Stal and that was where she would be until she could build herself a vortex manipulator. A task was much easier said than done in the 40th Century Ikker System. Though, she couldn't complain too much. Her only other choice had been 13th Century Golvin and when you got down to it, Krystal was infinitely closer to the time agency temporally.

12 years had passed since that fateful day, and she was confident that so long as she kept her head down and didn't mess with the timeline, the Time Lords wouldn't find her. All of time and space was a perfect place to hide.

"Jya-Qi!" a sweet and feminine voice pulled her from her reading material, a book on non-combustible fusion. Turning her gaze to the caller, she found a happily familiar pair of bright gold eyes in a round and dark skinned face. The young woman wore a pair of loose fitting linen pants and a tunic which was tied by a belt like ribbon at her waist.

"Shi-yi! Finished your rounds already?" Jya-Qi gave a bright smile at the arrival of her employee. Shi-Yi had been hired as a member of the kitchen staff for her rather quaint hole in the wall of a bakery. The younger woman spent her mornings delivering orders to their regulars, mostly the daily supply of bread and the like. They weren't the only place which sold baked goods, but they were the only shop which made their bread fresh and didn't fill their shelves with deliveries from the nearby city. A fact which ensured they had a decent enough clientele to keep them busy through the week. If Jya-Qi had been anyone else, it would have been easy to settle down and spend her life among the people of Kry-Stal.

"You've gotten lost in your books again!" Shi-Yi teased as she crossed the threshold of the small shop, dragging the delivery wagon across the red terracotta flooring. The cart's wooden wheels clattered lowly as it was tucked away into the wall by the clerk's counter. With a buzzing air of endless energy only the young possessed, Shi-Yi began digging through the pockets of her work apron. Sporting a victorious smile, the young woman announced brightly,

"Li-tan wanted more sweet twists in next week's delivery, apparently she's getting company from the city."

Shi-Yi wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, then placed the new order sheet on the glass top of Jya-Qi's display counter just next to the money box. Jya-Qi closed her book with an air finality. Reaching out she snatched up the paper containing the new requests, then proceeded to ready herself internally for business to pick up. Shi-Yi's arrival always signaled the end of their slow mornings. In a few minutes Hoon would begin stocking the displays with the lunch rush's savory meat rolls and she herself would be swamped at the money box.

"Well I'll tell Hoon," Jya-Qi surveyed the order sheet and hummed. Committing the details to memory was easy for her, "I'm sure he'll be glad to accommodate her."

Wasting no time, Shi-Yi hustled to the kitchen in order to assist Foon with the task of keeping their shelves stocked and brimming with freshly baked breads as well as pastries of all flavors. Sanitizing her hands at the station off to her side, Jya-Qi began the process of opening up the backs of their displays. As she was in the middle of the task, Hoon and Shi-Yi pushed the large carts which carried the rolls for their midday stock.

Routine took over then as the trio got started filling the cases with their designated foods. Hoon wasn't one for chatter which meant his cart was swiftly emptied and he was heading back to his realm in the back. Shi-Yi hummed a little ditty but said nothing before her own designated work was sorted. As for Jya-Qi, she was happy to almost lazily go about loading the rolls she'd been left with into their proper places. She was always given the most work and once everything was in it's place she didn't usually have a hot oven or ball of dough to put her to task.

It was that way until she finished her lot, pushed the carts to the back where they would be cleaned for use later, before returning to the store front and pulling up a metal stool with a cushion to the counter behind the money box.

Slowly, but surely several customers filtered in. Filling creme colored walls of her bakery with chatter. The few tables which were available filled and emptied what seemed like a thousand times and the Meat Breads were in constant need of restocking as Shi-Yi would bring a new cart for Jya-Qi to once more replenish their emptied shelves with.

The trio kept up the pace and maintained the ebb and flow of business. Jya-Qi had been at this for 10 years, she was good at it. Even if it bored her to death. In her less than stellar moments she wondered if she shouldn't just go and mug a Time Agent at one of the ports just to escape the boring monotony of the stacks upon stacks of paperwork it took to keep her little shop running.

After a steady 4 hours, the midday rush trickled down until the table turnover was much easier to manage. Business was decent, it was enough to run itself, pay Hoon and Shi-Yi a thriving wage as well as pay for the spare bits and bobs Jya-Qi may find useful among the stalls of the city's greater markets. When the last customers of the day shuffled out, Jya-Qi ushered Shi-Yi into the dusty path outside,

"Alright, I don't want to see you until 1st day. Hoon and I are going into the city again so you'll be free to rest a bit."

"Again?" Shi-Yi frowned but allowed herself to be escorted from the shop without much fuss, "You two go into Fio almost every other week! I know you enjoy tinkering and the like but isn't that a bit much? Going out and buying junk from the markets so often can't be good for your savings."

Jya-Qi couldn't help but laugh at the rather blunt question, but Shi-Yi was young, about the earth equivalent of 19. It was to be expected. The older woman gave an easy smile,

"You forget! He and I are trying to get out of this place. Can't see the stars without a bit of tinkering y'know."

Shi-Yi frowned but nodded, Kry-Stal had interplanetary trade, and the younger woman knew that there were other planets out there different ground for your feet to tread, "Do you have to go? I'll miss you and I don't know If I'll find another job that's half as good as this."

"It's not happening right now," Jya-Qi assured, "It will probably be a few more years before we have enough parts for a ship. Besides, you're already old enough to take over when I'm gone. There's no reason for you to be worrying about getting another job."

Eyes widening, Shi-Yi's jaw nearly landed on the floor with shock which was written plainly on her face like a splatter of black ink upon a pale white canvas, "You're not actually giving me the shop?! Jya-Qi that's-"

"You're a hard worker," Jya-Qi cut her off as gently as she could manage, the woman did her best to smile at her loyal employee in a comforting manner, "You could run this place just as good as I can. It's the paper work that's killer and you're here helping me with it already nearly every morning."

Shi-Yi swallowed hard as if she could digest all the retorts that likely had welled up on her tongue, "Thanks you. It's an honor to know you trust me so much."

Patting the young woman on the shoulder, Jya-Qi assured her, "You'll do brilliantly, now go and get out of here before your mum rains down terror in the market because you're late for dinner."

With a laugh, Shi-Yi accepted the words before saying her goodbyes for the day. Jya-Qi was quick to lock the entrance to the bakery before wandering through the doors which led to the back of the shop and into the kitchen. Hoon was easily found as he was setting up to wash the assortment of baking tools from the day.

Music made the air busy as Hoon's radio played some new genre that Jya-Qi's mind told her was called 'Miyano'. This particular ditty was the singer's first single but they would go on to be Kry-Stal's biggest sensation. Their music would last until well beyond the collapse of Kry-Stal's current form of government.

"The oven's cooled?" Jya-Qi asked absently as she grabbed a cleaning bucket before beginning to fill it with water and cleaner. The pressure of the liquid got the chemical to froth and bubble .

"I've got them all ready for you," Hoon nodded without breaking from his task of scrubbing down a large mixing bowl in one of their washtubs. Humming her thanks, she got to work with a scrubber. Setting herself up on one of the step stools, Jya-Qi took to cleaning out the three large ovens that lined the back of her kitchen.

They worked quietly as the radio played and kept them on task to the rhythm of whatever melody the DJ graced them with. Jya-Qi hummed along with whichever songs she knew and it kept her mind from straying away from the task she had of sticking herself halfway into an oven in order to keep it from getting too much crumb build up.

"My ship's distress signal is almost dead," Hoon spoke up suddenly. Jya-Qi continued her scrubbing though the air had shifted. Hoon had ceased his own task completely when he'd said the words. No doubt he was looking her way with that steady quiet gaze of his.

"We'll get you a new power circuit when we go to Fio," She mused while dipping her brush in her bucket of cleaning mix, and did her best not to pull herself away from the oven. There was nothing to worry about and so she wouldn't fret overmuch.

Hoon did not move, "The last time we went we couldn't find any." He shifted again, probably crossing his arms where he stood. The nerves in his voice were only barely audible.

"Well last time you still had a good few Blocks," She kept on task, angling herself to get the particularly difficult corners before continuing, "I can get an alternative power source and adapt it if I need to."

Hoon was silent, watching her with an expression she could not describe because her focus was on cleaning. The moment her first oven was up to standard, Jya-Qi pulled her self away and turned to look at her friend. She had been right, his arms were crossed and he didn't exactly seem impressed with her easy attitude,

"You said that I needed the same type of Power Circuit."

"No. I said it wasn't a good idea to use anything but the same type of power circuit."

Hoon's frown grew deeper and Jya-Qi dropped her brush into the bucket, an action which caused the water to make a plopping noise as it swished around. Not a single drop splashed out.

Steadying her gaze on the baker, Jya-Qi focused more than a little intently. Hoon's timelines swirled around him like little golden motes searching out a sunbeam. His potential swayed and bobbed oddly. Kry-Stal was not his home world and he was out of time. So it was no surprise that his timelines swirled with a bit more pep and liveliness than normal.

"But we don't want that signal to go out, so we'll have to make due," pouring as much confidence as she could muster into her words, Jya-Qi gave a reassuring smile, "Your people will find you eventually as long as we keep it going."

"And your people?" Hoon asked, relaxing now that he'd had his concerns met and taken seriously, "The Fossferans believe a species is one big family, are your people looking for you too?"

"That's complicated," Jya-Qi was no longer reassuring but wistful at the concept he'd presented to her.

Her people.

Who did she really belong to?

Her life before Gallifrey was filled with boring and monotonous tasks day in and day out. Even more so than the life she had on Kry-Stal running her shop day to day and living among the buzzing members of the planet's space faring race. At least on Kry-Stal she could head to the city and explore and the gadgets and clothing they received from their trade partners across the solar system. Even more confusing was the fact that even though Gallifrey wasn't where she was born, that shining planet was where she'd spent most of her life. Jya-Qi couldn't help but love the silver grassy slopes and it's twin suns as they caused the Citadel to sparkle like crystalline baubles. There were Time Lords and Ladies she missed and could even claim affection for.

Yet, the warmth was all tainted by a bitter sour flavor which she was unable to spit out. How could she ignore the way she had arrived to Gallifrey ? How could she ignore the way things had been before she'd run?

Jya-Qi had spent almost 400 years living on the Shinning Planet of the Seven Systems ,she was a Time Lady, she had been given a little bit of freedom near the end, but it was never enough for her. She was a guest, always an outsider who they never quite knew how to deal with.

Were they looking for her? They had to be. Jya-Qi had no doubt they were, not after all the trouble they'd gone through to keep her in one place.

Were they her people though? She couldn't say.

Hoon's curiosity was plain as day, a question dancing in his eyes that he dare not ask. It was just as well that he didn't because Jya-Qi wouldn't tell. Hoon was Fossferan and was only a temporary companion in her life. The only reason she had disclosed her own Alien nature was so that he would allow her to help him in his struggles.

Kry-Stal was a level 8 planet and Fossfer, in his time, was on the cusp of becoming Level 10. Hoon had crashed here in a time travel test from about 400 years in the future. Tests pilots like Hoon were normally rescued either by Time Agents or by their own people once they got time travel right. So of course he didn't want to ask for help from any of the Natives, he was cautious and scared of breaking the laws of time, but Jya-Qi was more than capable and willing to help when someone was in need. His ship would never travel again but his beacon was all he needed until help came. Or until Jya-Qi finished her vortex manipulator and took him back where he belonged herself.

In the end, after little consideration, she decided not to answer the question at all, "After we're done here I'll get a bit of a supply list to gather for our trip. We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Right."

The studio that she kept above the shop was small but cozy, and Jya-Qi was always sure to keep it filled with light as she puttered around quietly working on plans for Hoon's power circuit. The scent of ink and paper was heavy in the air but it was an aroma she enjoyed and nearly basked in it as she laid out her work.

Having gotten 4 hours of sleep the evening before, Jya-Qi wouldn't need any more rest until another day or so had passed. Thus Jya-Qi spent the dark hours illuminated by the pale glow of her many lamps, she worked tirelessly etching out plans for a cobbled together solution to the power circuit's issue they were facing.

Hoon had been on Kry-Stal only 8 months, and due to his black skin he hardly stood out. The only way you could really tell that he was from off world was his lack of almost gem like irises which all the indigenous people possessed. Instead, his eyes were coal black as if the pupil had over taken the entire iris. Nobody noticed though, many of the villagers just wrote it off as a genetic quirk or simply ignored it. People ignored things all the time to keep their sanity, so it was no surprise that he was able to settle in. The technology of Fossfer wasn't exactly elegant compared with the things Jya-Qi had learned with, but it was still solid and adaptable. So the plans weren't too complicated. She only needed to run the numbers to ensure that the slapped together adapter would work and not cause the entire system to melt down and become an over glorified chunk of smoking metal.

After all, this was Kry-Stalos tech, and they were 30 thousand years from contact with the Fossferan and even further from a time where their technology was compatible with one another.

At slow intervals, Jya-Qi nimbly lowered the light of her lamp though the hours which bled into the morning, until finally the sun cast did all the work. Eventually the natural wood room lit up completely and her sharp ears could detect the sounds of Hoon in the basement going through his morning routine.

Changing into the traditional garb of Kry-Stal, she dawned a red tunic and orange linen pants, her ribbon like belt which wrapped around her waist over the tunic was the same dusty shade as her pants. Jya-Qi took a moment in order to roll up her shopping list before sticking it into her brown leather boots. She then pulled her hair up into a tight bun with a thin orange twine. Grabbing her small pouch like purse, Jya-Qi slung it over her shoulder and practically waltzed down the stairs.

Hoon was just coming up out of the basement as she reached the landing, he too was wearing traditional garb, only his was faded purple paired with a dusty grey which suited him well.

"First shuttle leaves in 3 cycles so I'll treat you to some breakfast." Jya-Qi smiled as she opened the door to the shop, Hoon followed her out, then she locked the door as she did every time the shop was to be left empty.

"Kry-Stalos breakfast isn't exactly the most appetizing thing," Hoon frowned thoughtfully while while tapping his stomach lightly with the tips of his fingers, "But if you find a place that serves midday food this early I'll take that offer."

With a nod Jya-Qi began her journey through the dusty roads, "I know just the place for your Fossferan stomach Hoon!"

The streets were lined with shops and it reminded her of the old Aztec mega cities that once abounded through the lush lands of Mesoamercia. The people of Kry-Stal buildt with mud bricks and wood, they refused to bend nature so the architecture conformed to it. Their villages and cities rolled with the hills and canyons of their beautifully diverse planets. The larger cities like Kio, where they would be headed after breakfast, were built in plains and one of their greatest spectacles down in their southern hemisphere was even built into the sides of a canyon.

It was a beautiful planet, and Jya-Qi admitted to herself on the best of days that there was worse places to be stuck. She guided Hoon through the sleeping village of Kyin. It was, after all, too early for most of them to be up and about, but there were still places to get a decent meal.

Strolling up to a mud brick building that was formed like a dome with windows scaling up the sides culminating to the top of the dome that possessed a skylight, Jya-Qi pressed her hand against the wooden door of the building and motion for Hoon to follow.

"Welcome to He-Lio's!" a rather perky waiter called to them from his place at the money box, "How many?"

"Just us two." Jya-Qi smiled, without comment Hoon followed as the waiter sat them down for their breakfast. The chairs were wood framed but the cushions were plush as well as comfortable. A shiny finish caused their table to sheen while the light from the glass roof reflected lightly.

He-Lio's served lunch and dinner all day so the sickly sweet fruits of Kry-Stal's usual breakfast wasn't mandatory for them to eat. To Jya-Qi, while they contained nutrients enough, eating them was akin to eating candies for breakfast. For Hoon however, it contained no nutrition that a Fossferan would need to get through the morning. Kry-Stal lunches however were far more suitable for his species.

It didn't take long for the two to order their meals, and the service was surprisingly quick for the busy morning hour. Together they ate, the atmosphere light with chatter from the many other patrons to the diner. Jya-Qi was cutting into her food when she handed the shopping list to Hoon.

"You have your route mapped out then Hoon?" Jya-Qi couldn't hep but ask as she took a bite of a potato like vegetable. Hoon was pragmatic and logical. He was the type to map out a route through the shops of Kio and stick strictly to that route for the day. She was wiling to accommodate his disposition, even if she preferred to roam and enjoy the scenery, this wasn't a sightseeing mission.

"Accounting for lunch," Hoon replied, eyeing the list carefully for details, "I believe we can get through the right shops for these and have time for a trip back to to the bakery before dinner."

"Good," Jya-Qi couldn't help but feel pleased by his reply, "If we find what we need I'll be able to work on it tonight."

"I heard you last night," Hoon once more rolled the list up before handing it back to Jya-Qi. She didn't hesitate before shoving it right into it's place in her boot. Her companion studied her for a moment like she was a particular interesting bit of wiring, before pursing his lips, "Don't you ever sleep?"

She smiled at the curiosity in his voice, it was coated in either worry or disapproval. Being honest she could tell it was likely a mixture of both in the most gentle of ways. Warmth filled her heart at the thought that her friend truly payed attention and cared for her.

"My species requires at most 8 hours of sleep a week," Jya-Qi explained lightly, "And I can even spread it out. I've just slept a few hours recently so I won't need it again anytime soon."

It was a plus really.

Even if she missed the 8 hours a night she used to need, the luxury of it all, at least.

Hoon eyed her suspiciously but didn't ask. He never asked the important questions. Jya-Qi couldn't help but think he was afraid of the answers. Part of her was glad for it, because she wasn't sure where she would even begin or if she even could.

The two finished their food and made their way to the shuttle station, in no time they had two tickets to Kio.

Kio was only an hour from Kyin. The city was a bustling hub of culture and goods, there were several open air markets for foods, technology, as well as the arts. Jya-Qi's shop got it's supplies from Kio delivered every week, if the orders were smaller she'd get them herself, but having to ride the shuttle due to her lack of transport was what forced her to have supplies delivered. Even so, this trip was different. The parts she needed for both Hoon's beacon and her vortex manipulator were something she needed to haggle for. Parts didn't come cheap and if they did they sold fast.

She felt the minutes slide past as they pulled into Kio's shuttle port, Hoon was already getting shifty from having to sit for more than a he preferred so when it came time to depart they bounded out of the shuttle.

Of course they would need to take it back but that would be after hours of walking through the markets. Hoon, having planned the most efficient route in his head, led the way through the market.

First they stopped for the most important piece, the energy core. Fossferan's energy circuits were special crystals charged on their home world but the energy was geo-thermal and they charged them in plants specially equipped for the task.

They squeezed trough the crowded market and found their regular haunt of 'Musino', a shop dedicated to mechanical repairs and restored parts. The tent was large and almost as busy as the streets outside of it, Hoon began shifting through buckets of odds and ends while Jya-Qi made her way up to the money box.

"Sa-yi?" She gently called in an attempt to get the Kry-Stalos woman's attention.

Sa-Yi was tall and in the possession of brown colored skin, her eyes shone like sardonyx as she whipped around, her focus on some sort of combustion chamber then shifted to Jya-Qi, "AH! It's the milk skinned Mechanic!"

She meant no offense but Jya-Qi was one of the few pale skinned inhabitants of Kry-Stal. Most of the resident species were in the possession of skin which was dark red to burnt amber, or even brown to dark as the night. It did not help that her hair was honey gold, instead of black or brown, even and auburn would have done. There was no doubt to the people of Kry-Stal she was an Alien, but she was kind and knew her place on their planet. Kry-Stalos' people traded with three different planets and Jya-Qi resembled their allies on Moonis for them to simply let her be.

"I have some coin burning a hole in my pocket Sa-Yi and I'm hoping you can help," Jya-Qi offered openly before putting out a hand to shake.

Sa-Yi laughed jovially and grabbed her hand only to pull the blonde woman into a giant hug. When Sa-Yi pulled away she asked, "Well then! Tell me what you need Mechanic and I will tell you what has come in."

"A power core," Jya-Qi refused to beat around the bush, "Something that can fuel a signal and can be manually recharged or easily replaced."

Sa-Yi made a noise in thought and shifted through her mental inventory before breaking out into a grin, "I may have what you need! A Moonisian scrapper recently sold at the Auction house, I got a good chunk of it's engine chamber if you feel like digging through it's guts."

There was promise there so Jya-Qi turned slightly and called out, "Hoon! If you want to go ahead we can meet for lunch.

"Sa-Yi has a ship I can dig through for parts."

Hoon turned his attention to her then, even though he appeared ready to object, he merely frowned at the turn of events, "I might as well stay here, there's no telling how much you'll be able to get from her."

"It's only an engine chamber," Jya-Qi shook her head before tucking her finger into her boot in order to pull out the list. Glancing at it she crossed off a few parts that she may be able to find in a Moonisian engine chamber and then handed it to Hoon,

"Get what you can of what's left, we can meet at the Station in a few cycles."

"Eight," Hoon stated evenly in a tone that Jya-Qi refused to argue with. He was after all very schedule driven.

"Eight Cycles," she smiled in agreement. It was a decent amount of time and she could work with it, "We'll meet at the kiosk."

With that he took the list with a modicum of apprehension before casting her an unsure expression. Jya-Qi wondered bout him sometimes, and this was on of those moments. Doing her best to ease whatever reservation he'd cobbled up in his head, Jya-Qi encouraged her friend, "Go on! Eight cycles is nothing."

With that, Hoon appeared to accept the situation before making his way out of Sa-Yi's tent. Jya-Qi happily turned back to the owner of the potential source of several items on her list, "Looks like I'll be digging through that ship."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read this, especially if you've read the original version!


	2. Kry-Stal: Lost And Found

Goggles firmly in place over her eyes along with having her sleeves rolled up, Jya-Qi was comfortably waist deep inside of a hollowed out Moonisian ship. The ashy blue hued metal was matte, and unlike most other metals, it did not reflect the light of the sun beyond it's ability to appear colored.

When Sa-Yi had said that she had purchased an engine chamber she had failed to clarify that the chamber in question was still attached to the hollowed out skeleton of the ship!

At the moment, Jya-Qi was no where near the tent that she had entered to haggle, no, Sa-Yi had escorted her in a hopper to her scrap yard. It was a place that Jya-Qi hadn't been in ages. Throughout the entire yard mechanical guts were scattered about as far as the eye could see in a pit just outside of the city. Sa-Yi not only ran her shop, but she recycled any parts deemed to useless to restore and sold the raw metal to shipyards in heated stasis barrels. It was lucrative and useful to keep the metal in circulation, the economic model also kept needless mining projects from beginning on their planets surface.

"You think you can quarter it for me?" Sa-Yi asked as Jya-Qi sawed off a bit of the engine block with a laser cutter she kept in her mini took kit on her hip.

"How much will it knock off the price?"

"If you quarter the whole skeleton It'll get you 50%" Sa-Yi bargained smoothly. She was an experienced business woman and Jya-Qi had no doubt that the owner of the scrapyard knew the value of every ounce of product through each square meter of her property. For a moment, the blonde woman considered the offer set before her. It would take a few hours but she would still be able to get to the Kiosk in order to meet Hoon in time. Even if she'd be a little more dirty and tired than she'd originally expected. Jya-Qi's eyes landed on Sa-Yi, the Kry-Stalos' timelines swirled and lay steady.

She was good for it.

"You've got a deal," Jya-Qi gave a bright smile, her enthusiasm bubbled up into her chest at the idea of being able to just tear into such a large piece of tech, she was never above getting her hands dirty, her Mum taught her better than that. Not only that, but it was always nice to get a discount. Which was also a lesson her mother had ingrained deeply enough to stick so many years later.

Sa-Yi gave a deep laugh, "Excellent! You know if you ever get tired of working in that tiny village making bread, I'd be happy to offer you a job here in the chop shop."

"Bread pays my bills and it's all I need for now," Jya-Qi didn't feel the need to argue, and it was true. She didn't need to make a career on this planet. No, she had a completely different goal.

And once it was fulfilled she'd finally touch the stars.

When Jya-Qi was a child she had wanted to see the world, but the world she was born on wasn't the only sight worth seeing anymore. There were a million billion planets in her head that she'd only ever read about in ancient tomes and light screens. Once she was free, well she was a Time Lady! Jya-Qi would have the privilege of living long enough to touch every star, and see every thing there was to see!

The wonder of it! The majesty!

She'd never been able to sit still, not when she was a child, not ever.

Sa-Yi made a clicking noise of disapproval, "You're hands are like a god's! They're meant for machines, Mechanic."

She emphasized the nickname and Jya-Qi continued her work, rolling her eyes, "I was meant for the stars."

Sure, she'd been assigned a course of study for a the TARDIS nursery, and while that meant she was one of the best mechanical engineers any one outside of Gallifrey had ever seen, Jya-Qi didn't exactly love tinkering as much as she loves sort of tearing into things. The Council hadn't really given her a chance to choose her course specifications, but if she had been given the choice, Jya-Qi was quite sure she'd have preferred to have focused less on TT Capsules and a little more on Vortex Theory paired with Universal Overlap Studies.

"I suppose I can see you working on a freighter," Sa-Yi condescended to agree. She could only see Jya-Qi's abilities with machines and had concluded she was gifted. When really, Jya-Qi was rather average by Time Lord Standards.

"But I offer something higher up! You'd have to climb the ladder of command on a freighter and you're not exactly young," Sa-Yi's tone had transformed into something a little more eager as she tabled her offer. The other woman's thoughts when it came to Jya-Qi's options were rather standard, Kry-Stal really only used space travel for trade. The planet wasn't advanced enough to reach anything beyond their star system, so Sa-Yi was being extremely generous.

As for not being young, Jya-Qi wanted to laugh. She was only 350, barely firm in adulthood. Sure, she appeared to be in her 30's but she was 150 years into her second body, that was expected.

"I'm not exactly old either," Jya-Qi smiled as she gently reached into the engine chamber and cleared away several wires to reveal the power cell that had once fueled the scrapper which was now reduced to mangled wires twisted inside of warped steel. Reaching into the guts of the ship, she gently wrapped her fingers around the cell, then plucked it from it's base as if it was a particularly ripe fruit. Bringing it up to her goggle covered eyes, Jya-Qi couldn't help but experience a well of excitement that tingled all the way down to her toes.

This would do nicely! It was rechargeable with electricity too. A too big smile stretched across her face reflecting her optimism at the rather excellent find, "Besides, like I said, Bread pays the bills! It's all I need for now."

It took exactly 6 hours to finish tearing the ship apart for Sa-Yi, but that was only because Jya-Qi was also digging through the parts to see if it was anything she would need. When she was done with that, Jya-Qi payed a rather meager sum for several pieces of hardware that she had been in need of for Hoon's beacon. Thankfully Sa-Yi was willing to give her a sturdy satchel for her bounty so that she wouldn't have to juggle it all on the shuttle back to Kin.

Breezily Jya-qi made her way through Kio and kept her eyes on the shuttle station. Once she was close she began scanning the crowds for Hoon, whom she found almost instantly in the buzzing crowds.

His timelines were an anomaly and easy to pick out within the bustling station which was filled with not only natives from Kry-Stal, but visitors from through out the system. Lifting an arm the blonde waved to get his attention, quick enough he hailed her in return. Taking only a few moments, Jya-Qi reached her companion after a light jog.

"How much of the list did you get?" She inquired smiling, her curiosity over his success was bubbling just at the surface as she began to examine the satchel Hoon was hauling, "I managed to get everything I crossed out thankfully!"

"About half," Hoon frowned, clearly a bit disappointed, but handed her the list nonetheless. Jya-Qi took it breezily before taking a moment in order to scan the paper for the items that were left unpurchased. Hoon had done a brilliant job, so she turned to him without allowing her expression to fall,

"You did fantastic! The half you didn't manage was mostly for my project, the Beacon was more important today and we've got what I need for that."

Hoon suddenly looked optimistic at that statement. Good.

"C'mon!" leading the way into the shuttle station, Jya-Qi once more rolled up the list before shoving it into her boot, "I've been tearing apart a ship and I could do with a sit down."

Hoon shook his head and sighed in exasperation as he followed her, "I don't get how you can just not sleep tonight after such a long day."

Jya-Qi just laughed, he'd never understand in very much the same way she couldn't understand it before. That was OK, it took all kinds to make a universe after all! If they were all wired the same it would be rather boring, she found the situation slightly funny though.

They were all made of stardust and light, and yet they were all configured so differently. Life! Life was the thing that linked them all to the greater universe, really they were all the same and connected. All one big family that were connected without even knowing. Perhaps that was why they all eventually looked to the Stars and asked if there was anymore the universe than their planet. Maybe part of every species longed to be reunited to the rest of the cosmos from which they came.

Jya-Qi could recall long nights on the roof of the estate, she had only been 15 while she and Shareen had shared a bitter can of beer and talked all night about doing something with their lives. Sitting on blanket which had frayed ends and only slightly protected them from the chill of the cold roof.

Sometimes, Jya-Qi felt like those memories belonged to a past life and not the same person who spent her days among the growing TT Capsules. Nurturing them with her telepathy and aiding them into growing healthy. That the girl who sipped on that beer and choked on her first and only cigarette couldn't possibly be the same person who was watching the desert of Kry-Stal go by in a blur through the train window. Shaking her mind from the reverie, Jya-Qi reminded herself that her personal past was over, all she could do was trudge on.

The ride back to Kyin was quiet, a mood which carried over dinner. There was an undercurrent of excitement in Hoon, perhaps it was the hope that knowing his beacon was renewable brought. Perhaps it was the fact that he wouldn't have to sleep in the basement so that she could work on his ship. Whatever it was it had him practically hopping up the stairs to her studio when they arrived back at the shop. He had happily loaded Jya-Qi down with his purchases and announced he would be sleeping until afternoon the next day.

Such a declaration was fine, Jya-Qi would need time to build the adapter for the Moonisian power cell. Then, it would be a while before she had it capable of being rigged up for a constant charge without overloading.

With her plans in mind, she crept down stairs to the basement where the baking supplies were stored, barrels of flower and lockers of meat, fruit fillings, and other various ingredients were kept fresh as could be. In the very back of the rather large storage space Hoon's ship rested, well it was closer to a pod really. The vehicle was a one man craft meant for a quick test trip through time and space.

The technology was clunky and rough. His Beacon protruded out of the back of the pod reminiscent of some sort of antenna, it had been collapsed into the rear end but Hoon had pulled it out for broadcast. There were a few other cobbled together machines attached to it which weren't originally present. Jya-Qi had taken whatever bits and bobs she'd had at the time and built Hoon a signal booster hoping to help him get his message more clearly through the Time Vortex.

Approaching then set up which was now familiar, Jya-Qi first pulled out a wooden table which had been tucked flush against on of the walls and settled it into the center of the room. Then, the blonde woman began to lay out every part they had purchased during their day in Kio.

After mentally confirming their haul, Jya-Qi popped opened her wooden crate that contained all the other parts she'd purchased over her years on Kry-Stal. Each bit and bop she could practically list by name, every single one snatched up with the hope they could come in handy at some point.

Easily sorting through the collection she grabbed only three spare parts and laid them out with the rest of what she hoped would soon be a functioning power adapter.

Jya-Qi closed her eyes and drew in a steadying breathe, air cooler her lungs as she internally groaned. There was very little she wouldn't pay for a for a sonic device right about now. It would cut work time in half and make sure the seals were solid beyond anything the technology she currently had to work with could manage. But she didn't have sonic technology, so she'd have to settle with her Kry-Stalos tool kit that she pulled from it's place by her crate of spare parts. Pulling out her etchings she placed the papers on the crate and got to work.

Nearly 1 cycle into her work the sound of Hoon becoming still reached her ears and she took note that her friend was now asleep. Time slipped by as she slowly but surely cobbled together the rather crude and inelegant technology into something that could be useful.

She was constructing the power port when it happened.

There was a noise in the shop.

Normally she would write off the sound as Hoon, but her friend was still upstairs sleeping away. His quiet breaths not audible, but Jya-Qi would have easily heard the pattering of his feet if he'd crept downstairs. No such noise had occurred, the strange sound which gave her pause was the door of her bakery swinging opened.

Slowly she placed her work onto the table and grabbed her laser cutter. Careful not to make even the slightest sound she crept up the basement stairs and shuffled into the shop's main room. Whoever the intruder was, they were probing the area with some sort of scan. Their footfalls were quiet, but not nonexistent to her delicate senses.

Quickly she rounded the corner to lay eyes on the possible burglar and froze.

Ice flooded her veins.

His eyes were crystalline blue while his face was framed by a tumble of chestnut curls. The Intruder's clothing was out of place, it was an imitation of Earth's early 1900's fashion in the United Kingdom. Edwardian, her mind supplied.

But that wasn't what stilled the beat of her hearts.

The moment she'd laid eyes on him, the portion of her mind which always bubbled in the back, the murmurings of her connection to the Matrix and, by extension, rest of the Time Lords had swelled. A single strand burst forth and ignited it's connection to her. No longer a portion of a vague mass in her head, now it was a firm awareness.

His eyes were blown wide in disbelief as he quietly, whispered words somewhere between surprised and confused, "You're a Time Lady."

There was nothing for it. The Time Lords would, at worst, leave Hoon to be saved by his people. But Jya-Qi couldn't go back. So, she did the only thing a reasonable person in her rather precarious situation would do.

She ran.

It was the work of a moment to bolt, he didn't seem to have been expecting it so rushing past him at full speed before bursting out the front door of her shop and into the night gained her a good advantage. Her awareness of him pulled thin as she gained distance and it wasn't long before it stopped stretching.

Of course he gave chase.

"WAIT!" the Time Lord's voice boomed across the empty night air as he pursued her through the streets and ally ways of Kyin, "I demand to know what you are doing here! What have you done to the Fossferan who's ship crashed?!"

Kyin had been her place of residence for more than 12 years, there was no way he'd be able to corner her in the streets he knew like the back of her hand. Of course him asking about Hoon was surprising, but he had probably picked up the signal with his scanner. It was copper with a red diode and had emitted a noise.

Sonic.

Her mind swirled with possibilities about his motives and purpose. Clearly he was dressed completely oddly so he probably had a perception filter that wouldn't work on other Time Lords. A strange way to use a perception filter, most Time Lords simply dressed for the era and planet. If they wore perception filters it was because they couldn't be bothered to change out of their over decorated and stuffy robes.

Yet, she couldn't help but snag on that thought. After all, the Celestial Intervention Agency was very strict on their wardrobe, so why was he dressed for a ball in early 1900's Britain?

Jya-Qi's head was spinning as she pushed her way into barn on the outskirts of the village. Taking a moment, the blonde turned the locking mechanism to buy herself some time. Racing through the building, careful not to trip on the bales of hay or run into the barrels, she raced to the back. Scrambling up on of the prickly rounds of hay, she scrambled up a ladder which was leaned against the back and gave access to an opened window. No doubt it would drop into several bales of hay. Beyond that there was a set of hills. Among them were a set of burial catacombs.

She'd lose him in those.

Halfway up the ladder Jya-Qi heard the barn doors slam opened with a fury like thunder clapping in a hurricane.

Cursing she gripped the ladder she was climbing and hated herself for forgetting about his sonic device.

"I picked up a distress signal for a Fossferan!" He called out, his voice held such authority she was all but forced to stop and turn to face him from her place halfway up the ladder.

This Time Lord's blue eyes were ice cold swirling with fury, his face was like a storm which raged in the depths of the cosmos. A force as uncontrollable as time itself practically emitted from him causing Jya-Qi to tremble, he was like one of the ancients with the power of his presence and she could only swallow hard and grit her teeth.

Taking a glimpse at his timelines was akin to seeing a supernova as it collided with an ion storm, he was mighty and ancient compared to her and the meager 350 years she possessed. Fear welled up like a maelstrom in her heart as he demanded with firmness paired with authority, "I came here to help and found you! Who are you and what have you done to that Fossferan?!"

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes but she swallowed them back, refusing to cry as he took another menacing step towards her. Power rolled off of this Time Lord in waves like a wild thing stalking it's prey, while the moon at his back painted him as a fearsome creature which she knew should not be tangled with. He had come up close to the base of the ladder and, if he was so inclined, he could grab her if she attempted to run again. In that moment Jya-Qi could taste the bitter sour flavor of defeat and dust coating her mouth. All she could do at then was stand tall and utter a name she hadn't in over a decade,

"My designation is Epsilon Nu."

She almost choked on the words akk while she fought back the terror of him. Facing her fate teeth bared and gleaming, "I refuse to go back to Gallifrey! You can't take me back!"

Whipping out her laser cutter Jya-Qi pressed it between her own two hearts. She knew she must look like some feral crazed creature, injured and backed into a corner. There were worse things than death though, and in her soul, returning to Gallifrey was one of them. He could not intimidate her into going back,

"I'd rather die and not regenerate than return to that place!"

Suddenly his face shuddered and grew soft, his hands went up as if in surrender before he took an unexpected step back. The unrelenting darkness and sheer power some how drifted off on the cool night air, dissipating before he spoke again. This time his tone something close to kind,

"Listen, Epsilon Nu, I'm The Doctor. I'm only here for the Fossferan who sent out that distress signal."

Sincerity echoed softly across their basic link as he opened it up as broadly as he could manage, then snapped closed nearly as swiftly as it had been opened. The hilt of her blade clattered softly to the messy wooden floor as she dropped it. Something like a sob threatened to wrack her body the moment she realized exactly who was filling the doorway bathed in moonlight like an avenging spirit.

The Time Lord before her was The Doctor, the Oncoming Storm and Champion of time! The Bleeding Heart Renegade who made events and people better.

She had heard of him of course, all Renegade's tales were told as warnings. What no to do. Every Academy student sneered at the Time Lords who ran to the stars. And with good reason, most wanted to snuff them out or force them all into a military march of control. Yet, she was technically a Renegade now too. Hadn't she run from the most beautiful planet in the cosmos only to reach out into the greater universe?

Fear and tension left her as a grand bubble of relief expanded inside of her chest, something like a hysterical laugh forced its way out of her throat at the realization of what this meant.

"He's back in the shop you found me in," The words left her mouth giddily between her chuckles which were a mix of disbelief and excitement, "I was building an adapter for a Moonisian power cell since his Beacon was almost out of jewels.

"His name is Hoon, he's sleeping right now."

Her hand went to her forehead when the laughter began bubbling up from her belly, she nearly felt hysterical. Had Jya-Qi really had been afraid of a man who might just be Hoon's salvation?

"Oh! OH! You have a TARDIS! You can take him back to his time! Or at the very least get his beacon where it needs to go better than I can with all the spare bits of junk I have!"

Happiness! It glowed from her chest and no doubt showed in her eyes, all the terror from only moments before cleared the way for absolute jubilation, "Hoon can see his wife again!"

Jya-Qi couldn't help let this Time Lord see just how thrilled she was with the development as she began to smile wholeheartedly and without shame. The Doctor returned her expression, but he seemed more startled than anything else. The atmosphere had shifted substantially now that their misunderstanding was out of the way and it seemed this Time Lord had questions,

"You're helping the Fossferan? I don't understand why not simply take him back home yourself?"

With another laugh she replied easily now that he was no longer a threat, "I don't have a TARDIS, or any means of Time Travel. I couldn't fix his ship either, too much of it had burned at his crash site."

The Time Lord stretched out his hand in offering, likely a gesture which meant that he intended to start again from that very moment, "Show me the beacon, perhaps we can figure something out."

Accepting his proffered hand, Jya-Qi allowed him to aid her way down the ladder as well as the hay it rested upon, "Sorry for running. I thought you were a member of the CIA here to take me back to Arcadia."

"Once you're a renegade they don't tend to chase you," The Doctor informed her curiously before placing her hand in the crook of his elbow, then he shot her a rather conspiratorial smile, "I should know."

How she wished that were true.

But he didn't know what she was, what they had done to make her stay. When The Doctor had run, all he'd had to worry about was abandoning his political responsibilities and getting a slap on the writs for making off with a TARDIS. There was no way that he'd had to break out of his home after planing his escape for years and years.

The pair made the trek back to her shop sedately, and Jya-Qi was surprised that no one had been woken by their rather long chase through the streets. As they approached their destination The Doctor decided to speak up, breaking the silence of the dark night around them,

"Do you have a title? I know you said Epsilon Nu was your designation but that is normally cast off."

Opening the door to her shop, Jya-Qi rolled the innocent question around in her head before frowning, "I've been going by Jya-Qi here, but it's not- It's not me."

He gave a nod as if he understood her plight, "Shall I call you that for now?"

"Yeah." Jya-Qi shrugged but did not hesitate to lead him into back into her dimly lit bakery where they'd first encountered one another. Really considering her pseudonym of 'Jya-Qi' she pulled a face, "It's better than Epsilon Nu."

The Doctor gave a short laugh, but said nothing as he trailed be hind her down the steps to the basement. One they had cleared the threshold, it was only a moment before the Time Lord's eyes caught sight of the ship and Jya-Qi's half constructed adapter. The Doctor released Jya-Qi's arm before he gleefully waltzed over towards her work station, in order to begin examining the beacon with a wide eyed smile, "You've enhanced the signal of it! No wonder my TARDIS picked it up"

Pulling herself up to sit on the table, she hummed in confirmation as she observed the man while he used his sonic to probe and push at her half cobbled together handiwork. The Doctor's blue eyes sparkled with open curiosity over the modifications she'd manage to tack onto the beacon,

"You weren't just building an adapter were you?"

Lifting an energy transfer tube he brandished the piece of scrap at her. Jya-Qi half shrugged and half nodded, it wasn't exactly brilliant but she was proud of what she'd managed, "I didn't want it to keep running out of power and Moonisian power cells in this century are rechargeable so I was hoping to keep it at a constant flow."

"How old are you?" He breathed out, and if she didn't know any better, she'd think he might just be half impressed with her work.

"350." Jya-Qi admitted for the first time since leaving Gallifrey. The confession was like heaving a weight off her chest that she didn't know she had, "I ran when they decided I was going to marry someone I didn't love. Wasn't exactly the life I wanted."

She'd never even gotten the chance to fall in love on Gallifrey. That's not how they did things and she refused to be part of it. She refused to marry some stranger and have kids loomed as their Chapter House needed it. Kids who'd be toddlers the moment they were born, and she'd only get 8 years with before they were shipped off into The Academy's system where their creativity would be crushed. Jya-Qi wasn't stupid, she even knew that any kids of her's would be treated like outsiders because of what she was. It wasn't in her nature to take something like that lying down so running had been the only choice she saw.

What she didn't expect, was the awe clearly glowing from The Doctor's expression at her confession.

"You're very brave," The Time Lord smiled, and Jya-Qi began to think that perhaps he had been impressed earlier. She was only sure when he informed her, "Even I married when the time came."

She wasn't surprised by that, most Time Lords did. Loveless unions for maximum political gain. It was all very clinical and cold and Gallifrey viewed it as the superior way. Jya-Qi only shrugged, she wasn't supposed to be on Gallifrey anyways, they hadn't lost too much from extracting her from the gene pool. What they wanted had nothing to do with any children she might have.

"This is impressive though!" The Doctor gestured to her work as if he was an over excited Cadet, "Instead of trying to make the Beacon backwards compatible you've made your modifications forward compatible so that you wouldn't have to shut off the signal!"

"I didn't want to risk his people seeing it go out and thinking he was dead." Jya-Qi admitted easily, "I was actually building a vortex manipulator but when he landed here he became my priority, so it's taken me a little to get the proper parts together. I've done what I could."

He was beaming at her now, "Why a vortex manipulator?"

"I've always wanted to touch the stars." She admitted quietly, ducking her head in order to watch her feet which were hanging of the table. Swinging her legs lightly Jya-Qi let out a huff of air, "I wasn't able to steal a TARDIS when I ran. But i figured I'd have time to construct something, if crude, to fulfill that wish."

"And yet you stopped to help a stranger." The Doctor observed and Jya-Qi lifted her gaze to meet his own. Really, she could see what he was saying, but she hadn't ever really thought about her actions that way before.

"He needed help," She explained simply, "And I'm going to live a very long time, what's that worth if I don't help where I can?"

"Quite right too." He chuckled and it slid into place in her mind that The Doctor was the same. That was why he interfered so often in the lives of all the other species of the universe. The Great Meddler was only out there dong his best to lend a hand where a hand was needed.

"You're right," He shifted his gaze to Hoon's ship, the expression he wore was busy, "There's no way it can be fixed and you've done exactly what I would have done if I didn't have a TARDIS."

"But you do have a TARDIS," Jya-Qi grinned.

"I do." The Doctor smiled right back.


End file.
